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Green's Hill #1
Litha's Constant Whim
Whim believes himself to be the least powerful sidhe at Green's Hill: he is as constant as a bumblebee in a hurricane and as faithful as a stray breeze. Whim's prince believes there is more to him than that and on Litha, the night of the summer solstice, sends Whim into the mortal world where he strives to give a piece of himself to others. It is on Litha that Whim meets Charlie, a young, desperate human who steals a kiss. Whim steals one back and, in turn, craves another taste of this extraordinary man. Their vows to return next Litha and finish what they started launch a thirteen-year tradition of celebration between the mortal and the immortal, between love and patience, that is sustained by Whim's driving, faithful compulsion to love and keep his human close to his heart.
106 pages, ebook
First published June 23, 2010
About the author
Amy Lane
213 books3,513 followersAmy Lane dodges an EDJ, mothers four children, and writes the occasional book. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness. Feel free to visit her at www.greenshill.com orwww.writerslane.blogspot.com, where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail until her head swells and she can no longer leave the house.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
November 28, 2010
OMG!!! Someone bitch slap me! I can't stop crying!!! 
So beautiful!! OMG this book is so wonderful, and the end??? Is more than a HEA, it's a burst of joy that made me cry like a crazy!
BTW, my hubby is not funny... He saw me and ask me if I was checking my credit card bill
Anyway... my review...
Few words just to tell some important aspects of this book:
1)It's an independent story. I know Amy Lane wrote more books with the Green Hill theme, but I didn't read them. The only book of this writer I read is Truth in the dark (another 5 stars book in my opinion).
So, if you don't read the Green Hill stories don't worry, this book is a standalone.
2) Whim, the second-youngest high sidhe (aka an elf) on Green Hill (location in the Northen California, where supernatural creatures live hidden from the human world) is very powerful, beautiful, tall and very cuckoo. Incredible and very much cuckoo. But that's why you will love him too
3)Charles, the human and the main character lover, is incredible... Whim will know him in his Litha, aka the day the elves have great strength. Is the only day Whim will go to "human" world, so he and Charles, for all story will have that single day to see each other, and share they mutual love. Is a very romantic fact of this book. What would you do, all year, while waiting for that day when you will finally will see your lover?
I loved this idea, and in my view is incredible romantic.
4) The rhythm of the story is amazing! It's a quick book to read ( I read it in 2 and half hours) but not because is just few pages, but because is perfectly written, and you will read it all in one breath. The passing years, the passing Litha the main characters will enjoy together is so breathless! You will love it, and the both POV will give you a better understanding of the mutual feelings.
5) Last motive, to my 5 stars the tearjerker end. Some pages before the end there will be the saddest possible development, but Whim and Charles will have their HEA... I can't say how or will spoil, but regardless the tears in my eyes I love the end, and I can't imagine a better one
I recommend this book to all readers searching for a romantic fantasy story!.
And have fun in the fantastic world of the cuckoo Whim (yeah, he is incredible insane, but I love his craziness
) and his human lover, Charles.
So beautiful!! OMG this book is so wonderful, and the end??? Is more than a HEA, it's a burst of joy that made me cry like a crazy!
BTW, my hubby is not funny... He saw me and ask me if I was checking my credit card bill
Anyway... my review...
Few words just to tell some important aspects of this book:
1)It's an independent story. I know Amy Lane wrote more books with the Green Hill theme, but I didn't read them. The only book of this writer I read is Truth in the dark (another 5 stars book in my opinion).
So, if you don't read the Green Hill stories don't worry, this book is a standalone.
2) Whim, the second-youngest high sidhe (aka an elf) on Green Hill (location in the Northen California, where supernatural creatures live hidden from the human world) is very powerful, beautiful, tall and very cuckoo. Incredible and very much cuckoo. But that's why you will love him too
3)Charles, the human and the main character lover, is incredible... Whim will know him in his Litha, aka the day the elves have great strength. Is the only day Whim will go to "human" world, so he and Charles, for all story will have that single day to see each other, and share they mutual love. Is a very romantic fact of this book. What would you do, all year, while waiting for that day when you will finally will see your lover?
I loved this idea, and in my view is incredible romantic.
4) The rhythm of the story is amazing! It's a quick book to read ( I read it in 2 and half hours) but not because is just few pages, but because is perfectly written, and you will read it all in one breath. The passing years, the passing Litha the main characters will enjoy together is so breathless! You will love it, and the both POV will give you a better understanding of the mutual feelings.
5) Last motive, to my 5 stars the tearjerker end. Some pages before the end there will be the saddest possible development, but Whim and Charles will have their HEA... I can't say how or will spoil, but regardless the tears in my eyes I love the end, and I can't imagine a better one
I recommend this book to all readers searching for a romantic fantasy story!.
And have fun in the fantastic world of the cuckoo Whim (yeah, he is incredible insane, but I love his craziness
) and his human lover, Charles.
December 23, 2011
I waltzed into Litha's Constant Whim on a well... whim and didn't know what to expect. I wasn't forewarned or even told in copy that there was more to the world of Green Hill. I read it for what it was.
That said, the worldbuilding is massive but in this book it reads like a rough summary. It's kind of like Whim or Charlie is standing off to the side with the reader and saying 'Okay. Here's what you missed and this is what's going on.' Kind of like the opening to a TV show like say Glee and one of the characters is telling you the story up until that point.
This book absolutely suffered from an overabundance of telling and no showing. Parts that were potentially interesting, were totally glossed over. When it was explained what characters looked like, it was a grocery list of features instead of being worked into the exposition.
The plot, for what it was, had some great elements but I couldn't connect to it because it read in such an outline/summary fashion. The climax with Charlie and Whim which had the potential to be this very moving moment fell flat for me due to the kind of 'sketched' description.
Characters appeared and disappeared and because this book was a part of a larger story you were expected to know who they were and care about them. Take a cue from Stan Lee's Axiom: Every story is someone's first. Give the reader enough grounding details to care. Despite the lengthy summary at the beginning of life on the hill, I didn't understand what it had to do with anything and almost immediately turned me off. I liked Whim and Charlie but they seemed superficial, there wasn't really any depth of character to them. What you saw was what you got.
In the future, I might try Amy Lane's books again. But this one didn't exactly hit the spot.
That said, the worldbuilding is massive but in this book it reads like a rough summary. It's kind of like Whim or Charlie is standing off to the side with the reader and saying 'Okay. Here's what you missed and this is what's going on.' Kind of like the opening to a TV show like say Glee and one of the characters is telling you the story up until that point.
This book absolutely suffered from an overabundance of telling and no showing. Parts that were potentially interesting, were totally glossed over. When it was explained what characters looked like, it was a grocery list of features instead of being worked into the exposition.
The plot, for what it was, had some great elements but I couldn't connect to it because it read in such an outline/summary fashion. The climax with Charlie and Whim which had the potential to be this very moving moment fell flat for me due to the kind of 'sketched' description.
Characters appeared and disappeared and because this book was a part of a larger story you were expected to know who they were and care about them. Take a cue from Stan Lee's Axiom: Every story is someone's first. Give the reader enough grounding details to care. Despite the lengthy summary at the beginning of life on the hill, I didn't understand what it had to do with anything and almost immediately turned me off. I liked Whim and Charlie but they seemed superficial, there wasn't really any depth of character to them. What you saw was what you got.
In the future, I might try Amy Lane's books again. But this one didn't exactly hit the spot.
October 11, 2011
This a beautifully written book about the sidhe (elf) Whim who on the surface is not serious or constant but who is actually filled with emotional depth and capable of all consuming love. Charlie has never loved anyone before Whim and through loving him, he grows from year to year to be a wonderful and loving man. Many years pass in this story but none of it drags. The language, an Amy Lane standard, is gorgeous. For fans of her Vulnerable series, this is a great treat as it is a world we know and love though it can stand completely alone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2010
This book was recommended to me by someone who said “it’s a great series!” Well this is the first book I’ve read and no doubt it’s a good series. This is clearly meant to be a tie in to an ongoing series about the area, Green Hill. The other books seem to be m/m/f/m or some variation of that, yes *gasp* there is a chick but you don’t have to read those books to follow this one. Litha’s Constant Whim is set nicely in the atmosphere but skims over the issues and events likely highlighted in the other books. If you’re interested, you can go back and read about them. If not, you can still enjoy this one.
The story follows well over a decade as elf Whim meets a young Charlie on the most magical night of the year, Litha. Their encounter changed the lives of both men and they continue to meet on that day year after year. Their relationship is sweet, romantic, and very bittersweet. This is definitely a star crossed lovers theme and only the strong writing of Lane can keep this one from being annoying or coying. Instead the reasons and sacrifices both men make feel authentic and honest as they struggle with their yearning for each other and their responsibilities.
The setting is nice but feels very incomplete. On the one hand I can see what this story intended to do. It’s meant as a nice m/m only interlude into a complex series involving what appears to be a pretty big and complicated cast. The main character of the other series is a quirky and intriguing girl but knowing the m/m audience, the story offers only a hint of that connection while focusing on the two men. It works well but left me wanting to know more about the magical world. The world building suffers from the distant connection and leaves holes in the setting. Not enough to ruin the story, but enough to notice.
The characters are the real star though and watching the two men change over the years due to their relationship is the real strength. Whim starts as a fluttering minded, quickly distracted elf that seems to drift through life without focus or cares. Meeting Charlie gives Whim an incredibly sharp focus and also brings Whim real emotions, both good and bad. Whim now feels things much more intensely and his change is great to watch. Just as Charlie growing from a young, distraught man to a mature, intelligent adult mirrors Whim’s maturation.
While the leaps in time are nice to see, sometimes I wish the story had been longer and more developed. Not only would I have appreciated more world building but I really wanted to know more about what Charlie and Whim did in between. There are mentions of lovers but most of this is skimmed over and meant to show how Charlie and Whim have a true, ever lasting love. It’s certainly romantic and I have no complaints about that and the sharp edge of separation keeps the story from being too sweet. I still would have liked more development in how both men lived their lives independently of this strong connection.
The final big event is dramatic and tense but fitting to the story. The sacrifices each man makes helps bring a weight to the romance and a happy ending for the star crossed lovers. It’s a nice, easy read that may bring tears to some sensitive readers but still enough bite to satisfy those fantasy cravers. I’m not sure how it fits into the series but it does intrigue me to read more.
The story follows well over a decade as elf Whim meets a young Charlie on the most magical night of the year, Litha. Their encounter changed the lives of both men and they continue to meet on that day year after year. Their relationship is sweet, romantic, and very bittersweet. This is definitely a star crossed lovers theme and only the strong writing of Lane can keep this one from being annoying or coying. Instead the reasons and sacrifices both men make feel authentic and honest as they struggle with their yearning for each other and their responsibilities.
The setting is nice but feels very incomplete. On the one hand I can see what this story intended to do. It’s meant as a nice m/m only interlude into a complex series involving what appears to be a pretty big and complicated cast. The main character of the other series is a quirky and intriguing girl but knowing the m/m audience, the story offers only a hint of that connection while focusing on the two men. It works well but left me wanting to know more about the magical world. The world building suffers from the distant connection and leaves holes in the setting. Not enough to ruin the story, but enough to notice.
The characters are the real star though and watching the two men change over the years due to their relationship is the real strength. Whim starts as a fluttering minded, quickly distracted elf that seems to drift through life without focus or cares. Meeting Charlie gives Whim an incredibly sharp focus and also brings Whim real emotions, both good and bad. Whim now feels things much more intensely and his change is great to watch. Just as Charlie growing from a young, distraught man to a mature, intelligent adult mirrors Whim’s maturation.
While the leaps in time are nice to see, sometimes I wish the story had been longer and more developed. Not only would I have appreciated more world building but I really wanted to know more about what Charlie and Whim did in between. There are mentions of lovers but most of this is skimmed over and meant to show how Charlie and Whim have a true, ever lasting love. It’s certainly romantic and I have no complaints about that and the sharp edge of separation keeps the story from being too sweet. I still would have liked more development in how both men lived their lives independently of this strong connection.
The final big event is dramatic and tense but fitting to the story. The sacrifices each man makes helps bring a weight to the romance and a happy ending for the star crossed lovers. It’s a nice, easy read that may bring tears to some sensitive readers but still enough bite to satisfy those fantasy cravers. I’m not sure how it fits into the series but it does intrigue me to read more.
July 7, 2016
2.5 stars I seem to be alone here in my lower rating. I rounded up to 2.5 because Ms. Lane always writes well, but I rounded down to 2 stars for several reasons.
The main reason being that there was far too much extraneous information. While I'm usually a fan of good world building, in a story like this all we really needed to know was that Whim was from "The Hill". The fact that it is a magical fae place that sorta lives parallel/inside of our world is fairly obvious and consistent with other fae stuff. We did not need to meet any of the myriad supernatural creatures that were mentioned (10 I can think of off the top of my head). None of it was relevant to Whim and Charlie's story and in fact it took away from their story.
It just didn't pull me in, and I kinda had to force myself to finish it. But now that I'm done I can say if it were half the length with all the extraneous characters edited out, I actually think I might have liked it. Whim and Charlie's story was sweet. I thought I would dislike the 10 year time span but it was actually nice to see them meet up every year and see where their lives had taken them.
While it ended up serving a moral purpose in the end , my other main complaint was the addition of Daniel. It wasn't necessary to Whim and Charlie's story, it overcomplicated things, and I actually had ethical issues with it .
So all in all, not for me. Despite claiming to be a stand alone I think this story would have been better as an actual stand alone, it seems like the whole Green Hills series should be read as a companion series to the Little Goddess series.
Received from the publisher as part of the The Green's Hill Novellas in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire
The main reason being that there was far too much extraneous information. While I'm usually a fan of good world building, in a story like this all we really needed to know was that Whim was from "The Hill". The fact that it is a magical fae place that sorta lives parallel/inside of our world is fairly obvious and consistent with other fae stuff. We did not need to meet any of the myriad supernatural creatures that were mentioned (10 I can think of off the top of my head). None of it was relevant to Whim and Charlie's story and in fact it took away from their story.
It just didn't pull me in, and I kinda had to force myself to finish it. But now that I'm done I can say if it were half the length with all the extraneous characters edited out, I actually think I might have liked it. Whim and Charlie's story was sweet. I thought I would dislike the 10 year time span but it was actually nice to see them meet up every year and see where their lives had taken them.
While it ended up serving a moral purpose in the end , my other main complaint was the addition of Daniel. It wasn't necessary to Whim and Charlie's story, it overcomplicated things, and I actually had ethical issues with it .
So all in all, not for me. Despite claiming to be a stand alone I think this story would have been better as an actual stand alone, it seems like the whole Green Hills series should be read as a companion series to the Little Goddess series.
Received from the publisher as part of the The Green's Hill Novellas in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire
June 23, 2010
Whim lives on Greens Hill, in the Little Goddess fantasy world that Amy Lane has painted to all she has enchanted with this “place’ tucked away in the foothills of Northern California…For those who are impressed by what wonderful stories Ms Lane pens, this will certainly not disappoint.
Whim is described by the author as Constant a bumblebee in a hurricane and as faithful as a stray breeze .We find Whim with Adrian his Prince who wants Whim to see the outside world away from the hill. Whim is a Sidhe (elf) who is between 6 and 7 feet tall, has Anaime features and his long flowing hair the color that changes with his emotions. He has the mind of a butterfly and his attention span almost zero. Adrian gives permission for Whim to travel the mortal world every Litha. Whim experiences the powers of the flesh with humans every Litha Night and after 30 years of “searching” Whim tells Adrian, I will probably forget what I am looking for, and Adrian answers You will know it’s for real when you can remember a name . Whim sees Charlie, and Litha changes for them both FOREVER.
Charlie was 18 years young, walking the railroad tracks, out in the night and desperate. This enchanting story of sweet first love, of undeniable trust, spans 12 years of their meeting every Lithia night. For fans of Amy Lanes, the world keeps getting better. We see Adrian, Green, Cory, Lampert, our cop Max and our little Were-Kitty Rennie. For those first timers to this world, I would hope you would run but not walk to your local bookstore and start the Little Goddess Series !!!
Review By
Gloria Lakritz- aka grammy
Senior Reviewer
Paranormal Romance Guild
Whim is described by the author as Constant a bumblebee in a hurricane and as faithful as a stray breeze .We find Whim with Adrian his Prince who wants Whim to see the outside world away from the hill. Whim is a Sidhe (elf) who is between 6 and 7 feet tall, has Anaime features and his long flowing hair the color that changes with his emotions. He has the mind of a butterfly and his attention span almost zero. Adrian gives permission for Whim to travel the mortal world every Litha. Whim experiences the powers of the flesh with humans every Litha Night and after 30 years of “searching” Whim tells Adrian, I will probably forget what I am looking for, and Adrian answers You will know it’s for real when you can remember a name . Whim sees Charlie, and Litha changes for them both FOREVER.
Charlie was 18 years young, walking the railroad tracks, out in the night and desperate. This enchanting story of sweet first love, of undeniable trust, spans 12 years of their meeting every Lithia night. For fans of Amy Lanes, the world keeps getting better. We see Adrian, Green, Cory, Lampert, our cop Max and our little Were-Kitty Rennie. For those first timers to this world, I would hope you would run but not walk to your local bookstore and start the Little Goddess Series !!!
Review By
Gloria Lakritz- aka grammy
Senior Reviewer
Paranormal Romance Guild
June 16, 2011
Really *really* liked this. The writing is wonderful, and the characters just kind of walk into your heart and drag you into their world(s). The style in which it's written--almost fairytale-style; whimsical, to borrow from the story itself--makes it that much more engaging, sometimes juxtaposing the atmosphere with laugh-out-loud irreverence while not backing down on some of the more unpleasant happenings. A very talented author and a very satisfying read.
July 25, 2015
#Spoiler alert#
I'm left pondering this work. 3 stars, it's a solid fairy story which successfully captures the necessary elements of wonder and awe.
But I do have issues with this.
My big issue: That damn plot twist at the end...
What precisely was the relationship between Daniel & Charlie? Was it really a relationship formed, with an explicit expiry-date written into it from the outset? Did Charlie really give one of his former students a year(+) of his life...out of pity and concern?
I mean, honestly, who enters into a monogamous relationship with someone purely on the basis they're worried they might harm themselves? And it takes a very particular type of devious and unpleasant person to initiate such a relationship. A relationship where the partners know they don't love each other, that it's born out of a weird sense of pity...not even a mutual dependency! And Charlie just has his lover Whim to just...wait about for a year? While he plays house with a former student...because...well...we're left a bit unsure why Charlie goes off for a year with Daniel.
Councillors have patients, I get that. But they don't start a relationship with former patients; living together and all; just because they're worried about them.
I just don't like this plot twist. It soured the book for me. It led my opinion of Charlie to drop a big chunk. I mean, he basically plays about with two mens lives for a year while he ... 'fixes' a former patient (and presumably get sex while he's at it).
All in all, I liked the premise, I liked Whim as a character construct. I'd have preferred more contextualisation about the faerie world...but hey. I'm the type that likes detail. I like background information to help world-build. I feel it was lacking in this work by Amy Lane.
All of those moans said, I enjoyed it for what it was. An m/m romance novela, short and cute. Generally light, not overdoing the whole 'angst' deal. Well worth a read. But this doesn't really live up to some of her other works. Good for a once-through. Time well spent.
I'm left pondering this work. 3 stars, it's a solid fairy story which successfully captures the necessary elements of wonder and awe.
But I do have issues with this.
My big issue: That damn plot twist at the end...
What precisely was the relationship between Daniel & Charlie? Was it really a relationship formed, with an explicit expiry-date written into it from the outset? Did Charlie really give one of his former students a year(+) of his life...out of pity and concern?
I mean, honestly, who enters into a monogamous relationship with someone purely on the basis they're worried they might harm themselves? And it takes a very particular type of devious and unpleasant person to initiate such a relationship. A relationship where the partners know they don't love each other, that it's born out of a weird sense of pity...not even a mutual dependency! And Charlie just has his lover Whim to just...wait about for a year? While he plays house with a former student...because...well...we're left a bit unsure why Charlie goes off for a year with Daniel.
Councillors have patients, I get that. But they don't start a relationship with former patients; living together and all; just because they're worried about them.
I just don't like this plot twist. It soured the book for me. It led my opinion of Charlie to drop a big chunk. I mean, he basically plays about with two mens lives for a year while he ... 'fixes' a former patient (and presumably get sex while he's at it).
All in all, I liked the premise, I liked Whim as a character construct. I'd have preferred more contextualisation about the faerie world...but hey. I'm the type that likes detail. I like background information to help world-build. I feel it was lacking in this work by Amy Lane.
All of those moans said, I enjoyed it for what it was. An m/m romance novela, short and cute. Generally light, not overdoing the whole 'angst' deal. Well worth a read. But this doesn't really live up to some of her other works. Good for a once-through. Time well spent.
June 30, 2010
I love Amy Lane! Just needed to get that off my chest before starting the review.
Took a few pages for me to get into this, but these served to outline the world of Green's Hill to me - helpful, as I haven't read any of the previous Goddess series (m/f). It is, though, a stand-alone read, so don't worry if you haven't read them either.
It is beautifully written, full of emotion, sweet, with endearing characters who prove enduring love is possible.
Have a tissue handy; no, have a box of tissues handy & don't miss this one. A must read.
Took a few pages for me to get into this, but these served to outline the world of Green's Hill to me - helpful, as I haven't read any of the previous Goddess series (m/f). It is, though, a stand-alone read, so don't worry if you haven't read them either.
It is beautifully written, full of emotion, sweet, with endearing characters who prove enduring love is possible.
Have a tissue handy; no, have a box of tissues handy & don't miss this one. A must read.
March 3, 2014
Magical tale of love and constancy even in those for whom the word had no place.
Sweet, beautiful yearning and sacrifice. I'm not a martyr and honestly, a bit too selfish to find this completely appealing, but it was a pleasure.
His hair, which hung (like most of the immortal sidhe’s) down to his waist, tended to change color according to his mood, like one big silky mood ring, and he tended to have the attention span of one of the lower fey, but that was why he was named “Whim.”
Sweet, beautiful yearning and sacrifice. I'm not a martyr and honestly, a bit too selfish to find this completely appealing, but it was a pleasure.
February 14, 2013
It's not you, Green's Hill, it's me.
I love Amy's angsty stuff, I love Amy's funny stuff, but these Green's Hill books (this is the second I've read) mostly kinda make me wanna barf. Well, that's overstating it a bit, but in any case they and I are just not quite simpatico. I don't know if they are too sappy, or too sugary, or too smug, or too oh-so-sincere....hmmmm, I think perhaps sugary and oh-so-sincere come the closest I can think of right now...but in any case, they tend to set my teeth on edge.
I know, I know, these are very popular and highly rated. It's just me.
But maybe it's not *all* me. There's also the problems with this being very much NOT a standalone. Even though it's called #1 in a series, it leans very heavily on Lane's other Little Goddess books. Lots of stuff that happens in those other books is mentioned in passing in this one, and most of it is very incompletely explained, so the reader is never quite totally involved in what's going on HERE and never really gets the chance to completely focus on THIS story. And the fly-by characters -- lots of side characters that slip in and out of the story, whom we can never really connect with. And the constant telling instead of showing, again with lots of bits and pieces from other books and lots of "Charlie did this" and "Whim did that" summaries instead of giving us up close and personal scenes of what the two MCs were up to. Sooo....not *all* me after all.
2.4 stars, rounding down to 2. I originally had this rated at 3, 'cause there *is* still some very nice prose in there, but I just can't justify it. I would probably like this much better if I had read all the Little Goddess books previously, but I just can't justify having the "first" book in a series depending so heavily on previous books that supposedly belonged to a *different* series.
I love Amy's angsty stuff, I love Amy's funny stuff, but these Green's Hill books (this is the second I've read) mostly kinda make me wanna barf. Well, that's overstating it a bit, but in any case they and I are just not quite simpatico. I don't know if they are too sappy, or too sugary, or too smug, or too oh-so-sincere....hmmmm, I think perhaps sugary and oh-so-sincere come the closest I can think of right now...but in any case, they tend to set my teeth on edge.
I know, I know, these are very popular and highly rated. It's just me.
But maybe it's not *all* me. There's also the problems with this being very much NOT a standalone. Even though it's called #1 in a series, it leans very heavily on Lane's other Little Goddess books. Lots of stuff that happens in those other books is mentioned in passing in this one, and most of it is very incompletely explained, so the reader is never quite totally involved in what's going on HERE and never really gets the chance to completely focus on THIS story. And the fly-by characters -- lots of side characters that slip in and out of the story, whom we can never really connect with. And the constant telling instead of showing, again with lots of bits and pieces from other books and lots of "Charlie did this" and "Whim did that" summaries instead of giving us up close and personal scenes of what the two MCs were up to. Sooo....not *all* me after all.
2.4 stars, rounding down to 2. I originally had this rated at 3, 'cause there *is* still some very nice prose in there, but I just can't justify it. I would probably like this much better if I had read all the Little Goddess books previously, but I just can't justify having the "first" book in a series depending so heavily on previous books that supposedly belonged to a *different* series.
November 20, 2011
4.5 stars.
This is such a beautiful story!
Whim is sidhe with a very short attention span. On Litha he goes to the mortal world where he meets men and women, seduces them, gives them a night of love and magic, takes what they have to offer and goes back to his hill.
During one of Litha's nights he meets Charlie, a young man who feels he is trapped in a life from where there's no way out. Both Charlie and Whim can't see what's good in themselves, but they can see what good there's in the other and their meeting changes their life. They decide they will meet every year on Litha.
As time passes their love becomes stronger, but at the same time they don't want to force the other to take a final decision about their future together. Whim especially doesn't want to rob Charlie of a life where he has accomplished so much, where he can make a difference. Year after year we see Charlie become older and Whim become wiser. We see them struggle with their own world and then find comfort and consolation in their one meeting. Every time they meet, we feel their joy in jumping in each other's arms and then we feel the sadness when they depart, we can feel their longing while they are apart and the fear and doubt that things may change or things won't change at all. One day in a year keeps them going and grounded.
All the books I read by Amy Lane are incredibly poetic and this is no exception. I didn't cry like I thought I would, but Whim moved me nonetheless. Just before the ending there is a change in the point of view that made me lose the connection between the main characters, and this is the only flaw I could find.
This is such a beautiful story!
Whim is sidhe with a very short attention span. On Litha he goes to the mortal world where he meets men and women, seduces them, gives them a night of love and magic, takes what they have to offer and goes back to his hill.
During one of Litha's nights he meets Charlie, a young man who feels he is trapped in a life from where there's no way out. Both Charlie and Whim can't see what's good in themselves, but they can see what good there's in the other and their meeting changes their life. They decide they will meet every year on Litha.
As time passes their love becomes stronger, but at the same time they don't want to force the other to take a final decision about their future together. Whim especially doesn't want to rob Charlie of a life where he has accomplished so much, where he can make a difference. Year after year we see Charlie become older and Whim become wiser. We see them struggle with their own world and then find comfort and consolation in their one meeting. Every time they meet, we feel their joy in jumping in each other's arms and then we feel the sadness when they depart, we can feel their longing while they are apart and the fear and doubt that things may change or things won't change at all. One day in a year keeps them going and grounded.
All the books I read by Amy Lane are incredibly poetic and this is no exception. I didn't cry like I thought I would, but Whim moved me nonetheless. Just before the ending there is a change in the point of view that made me lose the connection between the main characters, and this is the only flaw I could find.
September 6, 2015
I debated for a while what to rate this. I really didn't get into the book. There just seemed to be something missing for me. I don't know what but the story didn't grab me which is unusual for an Amy Lane book. I loved the premise of the story. The length of Whim's wait seemed longer than I expected. They both seemed to want to be together and I understand the initial wait until he got older and had more experience. I just didn't get why so long. It just seemed an unnecessarily lengthy wait. I did love the writing Amy Lane is wonderful for filling in a world and characters in vivid ways. So though I didn't connect with the overall story I still gave it 4 stars since I think I may connect more if read at a different time:)
April 4, 2015
What a sweet fairy tale. Whim is the perfect name for the elf main character of this story, flitting from thought to thought, activity to activity. That is, until he meets Charlie. There's something about Charlie that draws Whim in and doesn't let him forget. Each Litha, or summer solstice night, the two meet in the real world and share a lovely night. Circumstances limit them to that time together for most of the book, despite their love for each other.
As with any Amy Lane book, there is angst and an undercurrent of the struggle with life's pains, but also the blessed joy of connection with the family one creates for themselves.
As with any Amy Lane book, there is angst and an undercurrent of the struggle with life's pains, but also the blessed joy of connection with the family one creates for themselves.
February 9, 2011
There needs to be a 5stars + more button for this one. It literally took my breath away. Beautiful, poignant, both bitter and sweet... Faulkner dreamed of illuminating his characters as well as Amy Lane does. Read this book. Read it now. And then get your hands on every other Amy Lane book you can find, and make time to read them all. Because the sheer poetry of her words is capable of healing every thing within you that life may have broken...if only you allow it.
September 3, 2011
Wow I haven't put anything in the favorites shelf in a long time.
This story was utterly bewitching and played my emotions like a master fiddler on his long familiar instrument. As soon as I finished it, I thought, "damn, that was well-crafted" -- just as if it all came together and I had the experience I was meant to have in reading it.
Wonderful!
This story was utterly bewitching and played my emotions like a master fiddler on his long familiar instrument. As soon as I finished it, I thought, "damn, that was well-crafted" -- just as if it all came together and I had the experience I was meant to have in reading it.
Wonderful!
February 2, 2011
I picked this one up because after reading Rampant, I wanted more of the Little Goddess world. I loved this novella. I am not a huge fan of M/M romance but Lane's writing is beautiful and she makes you care deeply for her characters no matter their sexual preferences. The story is so swwet, I didn't want it to end. If you love Lane's Little Goddess series, you must read this.
March 11, 2011
When I first started this book I automatically started the star counter at 2 maybe 3. I thought it was going to be another flaky fae story about Whim. And it did start that way....but it did not stay that way. Watching Whim and Charlie over the years was beautiful, sad, endearing and fun.
October 7, 2010
This was hard to rate; in part I'd say "4" and in part I'd say "2". Some scenes that moved me, but a lot of it felt like the outline of a story and what felt like references to other books were superfluous and confusing.
March 11, 2011
I just adore Amy Lane. Amy's writing is just amazing!!! I read this book and just loved it!!!!! Whim and Charlie were just tearing up my heart!!! Great read.
February 4, 2015
Beautiful story. I wasn't sure how it would work to only meet one day a year for so long and still have them be in love, but it did.
December 26, 2014
This was difficult for me to follow in the beginning, but once i got past that I really enjoyed this little story. I will be reading the others in the series.
September 22, 2017
3.5 Stars
There sure was a whole lotta infodump there at the beginning. I kept thinking that maybe I'd missed something, or like I was expected to know what was going on. And I think this is probably one of those books that would be better appreciated if I were to have read the Little Goddess series either before or concurrently. But, yeah, no...not until I know for sure that it's MMF and not het menage/polyamory or whatnot. Oh, and I'm only slightly interested in who might be the focus of subsequent tales so it's tentatively going on the TBR, for now.
There sure was a whole lotta infodump there at the beginning. I kept thinking that maybe I'd missed something, or like I was expected to know what was going on. And I think this is probably one of those books that would be better appreciated if I were to have read the Little Goddess series either before or concurrently. But, yeah, no...not until I know for sure that it's MMF and not het menage/polyamory or whatnot. Oh, and I'm only slightly interested in who might be the focus of subsequent tales so it's tentatively going on the TBR, for now.
March 1, 2020
3.5 stars!
I was surprised how much I loved this one. I’m a big fan of what I’ve read from Amy Lane, but this was different than what I’ve read before so I wasn’t sure if was going to work; I was pleasantly surprised that it did. It has a lot of the traditional fae/elf ideas with new twists that make it completely unique.
I was surprised how much I loved this one. I’m a big fan of what I’ve read from Amy Lane, but this was different than what I’ve read before so I wasn’t sure if was going to work; I was pleasantly surprised that it did. It has a lot of the traditional fae/elf ideas with new twists that make it completely unique.
October 13, 2017
Loved! Whim is so sweet!
November 13, 2018
sweet, fun, and moving.
December 15, 2019
Funny and heartbreaking. This is the story of a misfit elf and the damaged boy he finds on the solstice, told over a period of 13 years .
February 18, 2026
Definitely worth having on Mount TBR for 10 years and finally reading!
December 4, 2012
Powerful Emotions in a Small Package
As unique and magically peculiar as the sidhe are, none are quite like Whim. Flighty, forgetful, adorably but perpetually inconsistent, Whim isn't a very powerful sidhe. Power struggles, dominance displays, and general strife just don't hold his attention. Nothing does, really. He's the freest of all free spirits.
Nudged by his prince to step beyond his Green's Hill home, Whim passes into the mortal realm on Litha, the night of the summer solstice. Whim had no idea that taking that one risk, slipping outside his comfort zone that one time, would change his life forever.
Charlie, a troubled young man on the cusp of a horrendous decision, is knocked sideways by the sheer presence of Whim. The chance meeting redefines Charlie's understanding of the world and sets the two men on a path that will span more than a decade, molding their lives year by year. It will define them. Remake them. And all of it will happen in one-night-a-year increments, when the magic of Litha allows them to come together in ways that both inflame their senses and alter their souls.
But when an immortal sidhe falls in love with an all-too-mortal human, the journey their relationship takes has one inevitable conclusion. The damnable irony of it all is that unless Whim can work magic far, far beyond his capabilities, he will lose Charlie for the very reason he first won his heart all those years ago.
~*~
While I think this Lane series debut might be slightly more entertaining for fans of Lane's Little Goddess series, with its concurrent timeline and character crossover, I enjoyed the characters so much, and felt so much for their relationship, that I still liked the read quite a lot despite having never read that series. It's a long novella-length romance; there isn't a lot of world definition for readers new to the world, nor any significant external plot conflicts, but there didn't really need to be.
Whim and Charlie really were enough for me. Their relationship was a sexy, angsty, wildly emotional quagmire that sucked me in and kept me locked in place. I loved Whim's character evolution throughout the book. He was the primary focus of the narrative, so I felt closer to him by default, but Charlie's growth from nearly-man to fully-man, seen in snippets and yearly summaries, was just as profound in its own way.
I wish there had been a bit more substance and detail in the read. Another fifty pages that further fleshed out Green's Hill and Whim's life there, or filled in more of the secondary and ancillary characters, would have been appreciated. What Lane does exceptionally well in this story, though, is offer readers a sweeping romantic epic in a tight, fresh, original package that's just a bit smaller than my greedy little heart wanted.
It would have been nice having the Little Goddess series as a background, but I didn't feel like the story suffered overly because of it. I just think it dimmed a bit of the emotional impact for me. Maybe that's not a bad thing, actually, as this little gem packed plenty of powerful emotion on its own. Enough to satisfy the romantic in me, for sure...and, okay, make me tear up more than once, too.
That's a testament to Lane's ability to make readers care about her characters.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
As unique and magically peculiar as the sidhe are, none are quite like Whim. Flighty, forgetful, adorably but perpetually inconsistent, Whim isn't a very powerful sidhe. Power struggles, dominance displays, and general strife just don't hold his attention. Nothing does, really. He's the freest of all free spirits.
Nudged by his prince to step beyond his Green's Hill home, Whim passes into the mortal realm on Litha, the night of the summer solstice. Whim had no idea that taking that one risk, slipping outside his comfort zone that one time, would change his life forever.
Charlie, a troubled young man on the cusp of a horrendous decision, is knocked sideways by the sheer presence of Whim. The chance meeting redefines Charlie's understanding of the world and sets the two men on a path that will span more than a decade, molding their lives year by year. It will define them. Remake them. And all of it will happen in one-night-a-year increments, when the magic of Litha allows them to come together in ways that both inflame their senses and alter their souls.
But when an immortal sidhe falls in love with an all-too-mortal human, the journey their relationship takes has one inevitable conclusion. The damnable irony of it all is that unless Whim can work magic far, far beyond his capabilities, he will lose Charlie for the very reason he first won his heart all those years ago.
~*~
While I think this Lane series debut might be slightly more entertaining for fans of Lane's Little Goddess series, with its concurrent timeline and character crossover, I enjoyed the characters so much, and felt so much for their relationship, that I still liked the read quite a lot despite having never read that series. It's a long novella-length romance; there isn't a lot of world definition for readers new to the world, nor any significant external plot conflicts, but there didn't really need to be.
Whim and Charlie really were enough for me. Their relationship was a sexy, angsty, wildly emotional quagmire that sucked me in and kept me locked in place. I loved Whim's character evolution throughout the book. He was the primary focus of the narrative, so I felt closer to him by default, but Charlie's growth from nearly-man to fully-man, seen in snippets and yearly summaries, was just as profound in its own way.
I wish there had been a bit more substance and detail in the read. Another fifty pages that further fleshed out Green's Hill and Whim's life there, or filled in more of the secondary and ancillary characters, would have been appreciated. What Lane does exceptionally well in this story, though, is offer readers a sweeping romantic epic in a tight, fresh, original package that's just a bit smaller than my greedy little heart wanted.
It would have been nice having the Little Goddess series as a background, but I didn't feel like the story suffered overly because of it. I just think it dimmed a bit of the emotional impact for me. Maybe that's not a bad thing, actually, as this little gem packed plenty of powerful emotion on its own. Enough to satisfy the romantic in me, for sure...and, okay, make me tear up more than once, too.
That's a testament to Lane's ability to make readers care about her characters.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
March 4, 2017
Great story. I loved the layout the characters, everything. I saw the ending coming, however, I believe that's because I've seen it once before.
To wait 13 years, only meeting once a year on a magical night... How tragically romantic.
To wait 13 years, only meeting once a year on a magical night... How tragically romantic.
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